Filed under: Coupe , Performance , Europe , Videos , Scion , Toyota We have entered a drifting arms race. Last year, BMW smashed the Guinness World Record for the longest drift by hanging the tail out for 51.3 miles around a wet skid pad in an M5 at the BMW Performance Driving School in South Carolina. That beat the previous milestone of nearly seven miles. Now, Bimmer’s record is up in smoke as well and is in the possession of a Toyota . German driver Harald M

Lexus and The Weinstein Company have once again come together in the spirit of innovation to produce two new short films for their second annual “Life is Amazing” Lexus Short Films series. Two rising filmmakers (Jon Goldman, Satsuki Okawa with script writer Ken Ochiai) are being mentored by acclaimed members of the film community including actress Katie Holmes ( The Giver,

Filed under: Etc. , Japan , Marketing/Advertising , Videos , Toyota A new Japanese Toyota ad featuring crisply suited businessmen driving into the jungle only to segue into a Psy-style music-video dance-off with a gorilla and natives is the latest car commercial to go viral. Jungle Wakudoki is the newest installment in a grand tradition of bizarre ads from the island nation that are by turns hilarious, head-scratching and occasionally even frightening. Let’s face it: My people are weird. I’m half-Japanese and take suitable pride in my Asian roots, but even I can’t figure out what’s been slipped into the water coolers of the country’s ad agencies much of the time – or the nation at large, for that matter. From Japan’s ubiquitous obsession with all things adorable ( kawaii ) to its offbeat sense of humor and its bizarrely perverse and violent tentacle porn, it’s clear there’s a lot going on in the culture, and only some of it bubbles up to the surface in its marketing efforts. Much of the strangest and most amazing ads are for non-transportation products (e.g. laundry soap , snacks, energy drinks), but the automotive space has its fair share. This latest Toyota ad had me trawling YouTube for a common theme, trying to make sense of why these spots are the way they are. Scroll down to watch the Toyota ad in question as well as a bunch of other examples of Japan’s most bizarre car-related ads and see if you can’t find the thread that runs between them.

Filed under: Budget , Hatchback , Scion , Toyota Scion seemed like such a good idea when it was first launched. Toyota’s aim was to provide young people with stylish, affordable cars that would serve as a gateway to the automaker’s family of products. It was also supposed to be something of an incubator for new ideas that were too radical for its more conservative Toyota and Lexus brands. Over a decade since its launch, the brand has languished, and today’s showroom is populated by slow-selling and aging vehicles that have often been slow to receive upgrades. However, there may be a bright spot on the imminent horizon, as there are reportedly a slate of new models on the way over the next three years. According to a model timeline published by Automotive News , the Scion lineup is about to get a major overhaul . First, the boxy xB may finally be going to the big refrigerator box in the sky, to be replaced by a version of the more conventionally styled Auris hatchback (pictured above) from overseas markets in early 2015. Later next year, the xD will also allegedly bow out in favor of a new hatchback based on the Mazda2 (thanks to a recently signed platform-sharing deal ). For 2016, the sporty tC hatchback is also said to get a redesign, and interestingly enough, a Corolla -based compact crossover could join the ranks, too. While those changes should boost sales volume, there’s also news that’s sure to make enthusiasts happy.

Toyota North America CEO Jim Lentz speaks at the Automotive Hall of Fame Induction & Awards Gala Ceremony, where he was recognized as Industry Leader of the Year on July 24, 2014. full_image_path: D:Inetpubtoyotamediahtdocsimages2011ANWC_1723_thumb_20140724191333840.jpg feed_brand_code:

Filed under: Truck , Etc. , Government/Legal , Toyota , Celebrities Rogue or no, Tea Party darling and former Alaskan governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin is still subject to traffic laws. That means when Sammy Hagar’s “I Can’t Drive 55,” comes on the radio, she’s still expected to keep a moderate pace, and even her celebrity status isn’t enough to get her out of a speeding ticket. ” I wasn’t speeding. I was qualifying ,” Palin allegedly told the celebrity gossip hounds at TMZ. She was nabbed going 63 miles per hour in a 45-mph zone while driving her Toyota Tundra in her hometown of Wasilla, AK on July 16. Palin, according to the website, amusingly blamed her lead foot on the Hagar track. Palin was cited for driving 10 to 19 mph over the speed limit, which carries a $144 fine in addition to a $10 “police training” surcharge, according to The Detroit Free Press . Sarah Palin blames speeding ticket on Sammy Hagar originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Jul 2014 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds .

TORRANCE, Calif. (July 24, 2014) – Jim Lentz, chief executive officer of Toyota North America, was recognized as Industry Leader of the Year at the Automotive Hall of Fame’s 75 th Anniversary Gala on July 24, 2014. The event was held at the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education, College for Creative Studies in Detroit. full_image_path: D:InetpubtoyotamediahtdocsimagesLentz_Hall_of_fame_thumb.jpg feed_brand_code:

Filed under: Classics , Coupe , Performance , Videos , Chevrolet , Dodge , Mazda , Nissan , Porsche , Toyota Oh, the heady days of 1993, back when the Clinton Presidency was just getting underway, and it seemed like every hot new rock band was coming out of Seattle. Sports cars in the US had finally shaken off the shackles that slowed them during the ’70s and ’80s, and you could buy any number of legitimately quick vehicles again. MotorWeek recently went digging into its archives to find this six-model test from 1993 showing off some of the best semi-affordable performance coupes that money could buy at the time, and it’s priceless. Featuring the 1994 model year Toyota Supra in twin-turbo guise and MY 1993 versions of the Porsche 968, Nissan 300ZX TT , Mazda RX-7 , Dodge Stealth R/T Turbo and Chevrolet Corvette LT-1 , MotorWeek definitely covered all of the bases. One thing that might surprise younger readers is these cars’ performance. The video only provides 0-60 acceleration times, but several of these vehicles would still be considered pretty potent today – over 20 years since going on sale. The Supra is especially impressive, hitting 60 miles per hour in just 5 seconds. Even today, that’s nothing to sneeze at. Given their performance potential and still-attractive looks, it’s amazing that some of these coupes are old enough to drink now. The progress of interior design and safety equipment in the intervening years is pretty shocking, though.

Filed under: Budget , Hatchback , Toyota , Design/Style Toyota released a new Yaris in Europe and its Vitz clone in Japan a few months ago, so we knew it would only be a matter of time before it would launch the new hatchback here in North America. And that time has come. The new, more distinctive 2015 Yaris features far more aggressive exterior styling, a look set apart by that large lower air dam and X-motif front end. It rides on a retuned suspension hooked up to an altogether more rigid chassis, and Toyota promises it will ride more quietly and comfortably than the model it replaces. Inside the new model has additional soft-touch materials in a more comfortable cabin equipped with everything from a 6.1-inch touchscreen display to nine airbags. The 2015 Yaris comes in both three- and five-door bodystyles, and three trim levels that seek to eliminate the need for options packages. In fact the only option to speak of is a dealer-installed nav system. Power comes from a modest 1.5-liter four with variable valve timing, dual overhead cams and sixteen valves, sending 106 horsepower and 103 pound-feet of torque through either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. For all the updates, Toyota has only increased pricing by two or three percent (amounting to a few hundred bucks), with the 2015’s MSRP ranging from $14,825 for a three-door, manual-transmission Yaris L to $17,620 for five-door, automatic Yaris SE (*before $825 destination charge). Scope out all the details and pricing in the press release below .